Trying to buy a Nikon or Canon?

I have no idea what to look for when I'm buying a camera. I'm looking for a cheap model that can took decent shots (i'm not trying to be a professional photographer or anything of that nature).

What I'm especially looking for is a camera that can take great night time photos (cities at night, dark roads, moon, ect).It also has to be a manual camera. That's pretty much all I'm looking for right now. Please respond.

Added (1). My options are either to purchase a Nikon or Canon which does not matter to me which brand I choose. I'm just looking for a good model from either.

Added (2). My price range is anything 400 and under.

Nikon

Canon sure shot is brilliant very clear no red eye fantastic on zoom great for night shots

I've got a canon powershot SX200 IS and it's manual and I love it, just make sure you do your research and ask questions before making a choice, but go with canon, better clarity, more choices

Find a decent camera shop (run by photographers), explain your needs and budget and handle a couple of candidates.

Then just pick the one you like.

There's a difference between cheap & inexpensive. Nikon and Canon don't make cheap cameras, but they do make inexpensive ones. An exact budget would be helpful. Check out the Coolpix P7000 - $230 on amazon.